Tompkins County wages in 5 occupations higher than average, 4 groups trail average

Five occupational groups in Tompkins County have wages higher than the national average, while four groups have wages that are lower than the U.S. average.

According to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage of workers in Tompkins County was $27.90 for the month of May 2017. The nationwide average wage was $24.34.

The median wage in Tompkins County is $21.51.

The groups in Tompkins County that had wages higher than the national average were community and social service; education, training and library; food preparation and serving-related; personal care and service; and production. The groups that had wages lower than the national average were architecture and engineering; healthcare practitioners and technical; life, physical and social science; and sales and related.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ithaca had 8,220 workers in education, training, and library occupations in 2017. The occupational group accounted for 16.4 percent of local employment — more than two-and-a-half times its share of national employment.